The Australian oil & gas industry is one of the most challenging industries to recruit, with an ageing workforce and a shrinking pool of future talent to fill the gaps. This makes good hiring decisions more contingent upon gaining a holistic picture of the best candidates, as opposed to going by their CV alone.
In other words, it requires a delicate balance between evaluating a candidate’s technical expertise and cultural fit. Whilst the former seems relatively straightforward, the latter tends to be a more complex proposition for organisations. Getting both aspects right is the key to netting the right engineers – a balance that has become increasingly important in recent years.
Challenges in Achieving Balance
Technical matching remains fundamental in oil and gas recruitment (which is one reason why our award-winning technical panel exists). As talent shortages persist or worsen, however, engineers’ soft skills will become even more critical in the hiring equation. Effective succession planning, mentoring of younger workers and managing teams all require engineers who have the right cultural fit with your organisation.
A candidate’s cultural fit can include their work ethic and their alignment with your organisation’s team dynamics. We’d also argue cultural fit relates to a candidate’s work preferences and values. As our latest Subsurface Oil & Gas Employment Insights report shows, amongst the factors in decisions to change roles, those ranked ‘very important’ were company culture (50%), work-life balance (50%), leadership (33%) and flexible work arrangements (23%). Ensuring a candidate is on the same page as your organisation is crucial before making a job offer.
When there is an imbalance between technical and cultural factors in hiring (prioritising one over the other), there may be consequences that seem small initially but can in fact become deleterious. Two early warning signs are low morale and high staff turnover, which can increase costs and hurt performance on projects.
Whilst hiring for cultural fit is critical, it’s still important to remember it can be misinterpreted or misapplied in hiring decisions, which can hinder workplace diversity (e.g. only hiring people who look and sound like you). When a hiring manager decides a candidate doesn’t make a good cultural fit, they should be able to explain the reasoning behind their decision.
Strategies for Balancing Technical Expertise with Cultural Fit
As it ultimately remains difficult to compromise on technical skills in favour of cultural fit, the key is designing recruitment processes that evaluate both aspects equally.
Clarify Your Cultural Fit
Begin by defining what “cultural fit” truly means for your organisation. Don’t just look at the company’s stated values and mission; also consider what culture looks like in daily practice. The typical behaviours and attitudes shown in your workplace will define, to a large extent, what its culture is. For the utmost clarity, it’s a good idea to gather feedback from employees on how they perceive the company culture.
Demonstrate Culture in Job Descriptions
This allows you to attract candidates who resonate with your organisational culture from the outset. For example, you could illustrate how certain company values manifest in daily operations, such as safety initiatives. Mention any programs the company supports, such as diversity and inclusion programs, employee wellness initiatives, or community engagement activities.
Use Comprehensive Interview Techniques
Combining technical and behavioural interview questions is ideal. Candidates should have the opportunity to discuss how they were able to achieve specific results in their previous roles. Focusing on real-life situations will give you better insight into how a candidate responds to situations on the fly – which is crucial to determining how they fit in a workplace culture.
Aim for Continuous Improvement
Regularly update your recruitment strategies based on feedback and outcomes. This is the best way to identify issues and ensure current hiring approaches align with your organisation’s evolving needs, goals, and market changes.
Overcome Oil & Gas Recruitment Challenges
Hiring people who resonate with your company’s culture cultivates a sense of belonging and loyalty, contributing to a positive working environment. However, the concept of hiring for cultural fit does carry a risk of creating a homogeneous workplace. Balancing technical and cultural fit is key – and is made possible with a careful eye on how candidates are sourced and evaluated.
By taking the time to define and clearly articulate company culture, hiring managers in the Australian oil & gas industry can build more cohesive, productive, and satisfied teams.
For considered guidance in building your teams or identifying your next hire, contact the team at Patch Personnel today. As Australia’s leading oil and gas recruitment specialist, our expertise can support you in making sensible hiring decisions that produce fruitful long-term outcomes.